Grand Theft Wavebreak public rally

Nov 3, 2014

The Gold Coast is a very welcoming and tolerant community.The lengthy construction phase of the light rail system tested our patience.Events like the V8 cars are largely seen as being for the greater good - we are proudly a tourist destination.

That tolerance stops at the gate when it comes to giving away public beaches, parks and foreshores, restricting recreational boating activities and access to surf spots, removing or damaging marine habitat, destroying dive and surf spots or disrespecting our environment, parks and life style.

We have seen ASF China's 'Project Director', Allan Fife, arrogantly proclaim (twice) to local Councillors on the brink of the GCCC vote in May "it is not a transit port", thus intimating the Gold Coast will be a home (base) port for cruise vessels. GC Councillors proceeded to vote to 'go to the next phase of the process' on the basis of Fife's gross 'untruth'.

After what seems like a field day of spin, farcical community consultation, claim and counter claim, hiding reports (when they did not suit) and miraculous unverified jobs, economic benefits and navigational claims in ASF's in-house studies (when they did suit), ASF now proclaim that their proposed TRANSIT PORT (day port) will be to the Gold Coast's advantage. This recent statement totally contradicts Fife's earlier claim that the gold Coast 'would not be a transit port'.

All this after Brisbane has clearly won the battle with plans for a new mega-cruise terminal which will be a Homeport for Carnival corporation and a Transit (visiting) and Turnaround Port for all other visiting vessels from the northern hemisphere during the Oct-March cruise season, due to Brisbane's all weather navigational safety location; tug, re-fuel and re-supply facilities and numerous other infrastructure advantages, in addition to its proximity to the international airport.

The ASF China proposal has never been about cruise ships! It is simply a land grab for Wavebreak Island as a self-contained suburb, with initial real-estate sales to be offered on the Chinese mainland market and all of it centred around a foreign-controlled casino.

We have heard enough - the State Government saying it is a Council initiative and Council, after voting to continue a project with no details (and to date still not one technical report), claiming it is in the hands of the State Government, that it is the State's project.

It is time for Gold Coasters to actually have our say!

Neither ASF China nor the Mayor nor 'enthusiastic' council officers working behind the scenes have had the decency to address Gold Coasters directly at a public meeting.

This is an abuse of power, a land grab with a very small group of individuals standing to benefit from our loss of public space, parks, waterways and beaches.

We are calling on all Gold Coasters to join us for a Public Rally to Save the Broadwater at:

'GRAND THEFT WAVEBREAK' Public Rally!

When:11am. Sunday 7th December 2014

Where: Broadwater Parklands (opposite Nerang St)

How can you help?

Make a list of all of your friends and family and ensure they are aware of this event.

We would like to thank all of our loyal supporters - please make this rally a history-making event on the Gold Coast - we simply do not accept that our public foreshores, parks and beaches can be treated with such contempt by the very people supposedly in charge of protecting them!